BEECH

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BEECHER

BEECH, a tree of the forest, of which
there are two principal species—the Amer-
ican beech, growing to a height of fifty to
eighty feet, and the European, which some-
times reaches 120 feet. It is a beautiful tree,
with symmetrical branches and thin leaves in
summer, and smooth, grayish bark in winter.
Beech wood, of a reddish brown color, is
desirable for firewood, as it gives quick and
intense heat, but for building purposes it has
been found short-lived, for it is liable to
decay. For making many small articles,
however, it has its commercial use. It is
durable under water, therefore piles are
often made from it.

The fruits, small three-sided nuts, when
dried and powdered, may be made into a
wholesome bread; they have also occasionally
been roasted and used as a substitute for
coffee. They yield a sweet and palatable
oil, used by the lower classes in some parts
of Southern Europe instead of butter, but
they are, however, chiefly used as food for
swine, poultry and other animals.

BEECHEE, HENRY WARD (1813-1887),
an American preacher, remembered as one
of the most eloquent pulpit orators of his
day. He was the third son of Lyman
Beeeher, and a brother of Harriet Beecher
Stowe. Beecher was born in Litehfield,
Conn. As a child he was diffident and sen-
sitive, loved the ocean and was only pre-
vented from going to sea by his admission
to the church in 1826. When but eleven
years old he defeated an opponent in a de-
bate on Paine's Age of Reason. He showed
marked talent as a debater in Amherst Col-
lege, where he was graduated in 1834.
Beecher studied theology under his father's
instruction in Lane Seminary, for a time
was pastor of a Presbyterian church in
Lawrenceburg, I n d.
(1837-39), and at the
same time was con-
nected with an anti-
slavery paper in Cin-
cinnati. Prom 1839
to 1847 he preached in
Indianapolis, contrib-
uting articles to an
agricultural paper. In
1847 he took charge of
Plymouth Church,
Brooklyn; where his
congregation, noted
for generosity and intelligence, heartily

HENRY WABD
BKBCHEB

sympathized with him in his efforts for re-
form, especially in his work for abolition of
slavery and for temperance.
Beecher's opinion on all public questions
was eagerly sought. He was original in treat-
ment and choice of subjects for his sermons,
and his delivery was eloquent, dramatic, pa-
thetic and witty. In the matter of physical
endurance he was a marvel. Tender-hearted
and charitable himself:, any form of in-
justice called from him bitter denunciations.
As an after-dinner speaker he was without
a peer, and his popularity as a lecturer was
almost unprecedented. Among his famous
orations was one on Eobert Burns; another
was on Fort Sumter.
He was a Republican and aided the cause
of the party by pen and speech, taking part
in the canvass of 1856, and speaking at many
meetings through the country. Through his
influence and addresses, opinion in England
concerning the Civil War was materially
modified. His last public address was in
Checkering Hall, New York, February 25,
1887, in favor of high license. After he
came to Brooklyn he contributed his Star
Papers to the Independent, of which he be-
came editor in 1861. He edited the Christian
Union, which later became The Outlook f and
was a frequent contributor to the Ledger.
In Plymouth Pulpit are preserved the ser-
mons preached from 1859 till his death*
Among his many published works are a novel
entitled Norwood, Lectures to "Young Men
and A Circuit of the Continent. He mar«
ried, in 1837, Eunice White Bullard, author
of From Dawn to Daylight.
BEEOHEE, LYMAN (1775-1863), an
American clergyman, two of whose children,
Henry Ward and Harriet (Stowe), became
more famous than himself. Ho was gradu-
ated at Yale in 1797 and in the following
year was licensed to preach and accepted the
pastorate of the Presbyterian church in East
Hampton, L. I. A sermon on dueling, sug-
gested by the duel between Alexander Hamil-
ton and Aaron Burr, made a great impres-
sion, and he soon became one of: the best
known preachers of New England, From
1832 till 1851 he was president of the Lane
Theological Seminary, Cincinnati, in which
he was professor of theology, and from 1832
to 1842 was pastor of the Second Presby«
terian church of Cincinnati. In 1835 Beech-
er was arraigned and tried for heresy by his
presbytery, was acquitted by the general as-